The Wide Receivers will be an open competition this spring and next fall. There will be more moving around between the X, Z, and Slot (A) than in a long time. There are a lot of names, most are young with very little experience or older players that lack experience due to injury.
Really, other than Dezmen Roebuck, we really do not know how the depth will work out over the next five months before kickoff. But, for fun, we’ll give it a shot.
Starting with the same question we will ask with every player, “where does he best fit?” we have to start with Christian Moss. We can almost always assume they brought him in to contribute now. So we put him at the top of the page. Then we look at who we expect, based off past appearances, to be the top returning players. Only after the cream rising to the top, can we look at the group and ask, where do they fit best?
The top group:
Christian Moss 6’3 200 (Sr.)
Rashid Williams 6’1 195 (Jr.)
Chris Lawson 6’0 190 (So.)
Dezmen Roebuck 5’10 184 (So.)
If you started with the top returners you would look at it and expect Christian Moss to line up at the X (usually the split side of the field – often leading to single receiver side and one-on-one matchups). He finished the ’25 season with 45 receptions and 689 yards, averaging 15.3 yards per catch. His height and a more mature/older body allows him to compete for the contested downfield balls.
In the Z (old “flanker” spot – lining up on the Tight End side) you would then expect Rashid Williams to fill the void. Rashid was a big-time kid coming out of school. He made highlight catch after catch in high school while playing with one of the top quarterbacks in the country. Due to playing behind other true big-time players (McMillan, Odunze) early in his career and then injuries this past year, he hasn’t been able to distinguish himself as the next leader of the group. If he can stay healthy, look for breakout year.
In reality, don’t get to hung up on who is in the X and Z spots. In football offenses today, the offensive coordinators play with multiple formations. A guy may lineup off the line on one formation, go in motion, then find themselves on the line on the next play/formation. Its all about matchups and Jed Fisch will move them around in game planning, whatever it takes to move the ball.
In the slot, we can expect Dezmen Roebuck to return as a difference maker. He is small in stature, but always seems to come up with big catches. He finished the ’25 season with 42 catches and 560 yards.
Chris Lawson came in as a true freshman in ’25 and was able to contribute with 10 receptions for 115 yards. Flashing potential as a frosh, we look forward to him rotating in the first line of X/Z players.
With quarterback Demond Williams continual off-season/spring development and seeing the field better, look for Roebuck’s numbers to remain the same while other receiver’s numbers continue to climb, creating a more balance receiving corps in ’26.
Second Group:
Justice Williams 6’4 215 (So.)
Deji Ajose 6’2 205 (RS Fr.)
Bodpegn Miller 6’4 190 (RsFr)
Kevin Green 5’11 165 (Sr.)
A couple of this second group will have to step forward. It’s a long season in the Big 10 and there needs to be depth and full rotation. The problem, we really don’t know much about any of these guys other than their high school playing days.
I really liked Justice Williams’ high school video. He has the DNA. His father had a respectable career in the NFL. Justice showed explosive downfield abilities running by people in high school. But, almost immediately upon arriving at Washington, he began a string of injuries that has stopped his development. We saw him in the ’25 spring game, and while he looked the part, it was obvious he was a raw player that needed time to develop. We will watch and see if he can break out of injuries and begin to develop his talent this spring/fall.
Deji Ajose looked the part. I compared him in size and ability to a Jalynn Polk coming out of high school. He had decent downfield speed with the ability to make good breaks out of his stem. He did look a little stiff at times, but nothing a little off-season development couldn’t help overcome.
Then we have Bodpegn Miller from the portal. Coming to the Dawgs from Ohio State, f you want to use the word raw as we did for Justice Williams, then you can definitely use it to describe Miller. Bodpegn was a four star athlete coming out of high school in Ohio, receiving the 4 stars based only on potential. He played quarterback in HS, but it was obvious, QB was not going to be his career. So long, so fast, he did spend a year of development redshirting one year at Ohio State. It would not surprise me to see Miller spending one more year learning his new position.
Kevin Greene went into the portal this last December. There has been no word whether he withdrew his name or not. Which means he still reserves the right to leave at any time. Our guess, he has plans to see how the depth chart looks after spring ball, then deciding where his future lies.
The Freshmen
Jordan Clay 6’2 200 (Fr.)
Trez Davis 6’1 180 (Fr.)
Blaise LaVista 6’2 190 (Fr.)
Mason James 5’11 175 (Fr.)
We know the Dawgs will need a couple kids to step up this year. For everything we have heard through the rumor mill, look for Jordan Clay to be one of those guys. Jordan was awarded for his efforts in the Navy high school All-American game this winter, being named the Navy All-American Bowl Offensive Player of the Year. We expect Jordan to step in and compete from day one.
Trez Davis was a late addition to the recruiting class, but exciting one. His highlight film truly is an accumulation of highlights. He will be on the bubble for legitimate playing time. In this day and age, you want to play young guys with potential, work them into the rotation some how. Give the young Dawg a bone and let him chew on it a little. Look for him to get 10 catches (much like Chris Lawson did last year) just to keep him feeling part of the program . . . and keep him from heading back to West Monroe, Louisiana in the portal.
An exciting young player from Norman, Oklahoma, look for Mason James to make a move for a spot on the two deep depth. James is a 4-star WR who signed with the Huskies, bringing speed, high-volume production, and elite ball tracking skills. He was ranked as a top 35 WR nationally and a top 5 recruit in Oklahoma.
Look for Clay and James to work into the rotation full time if they can develop their blocking technique during spring ball.
